1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an automatic dialing apparatus for automatically dialing a telephone number for use in a telephone or a facsimile machine, and in particular to a voice activated dialing apparatus for automatically dialing a telephone number in response to a voice input.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Now, a push-button telephone is wide spread and a modern push-button telephone is equipped with numerous functions. Such a modern push-button telephone includes a dialing apparatus which is provided with various simplified dialing functions, such as abbreviated telephone number dialing and one-push button dialing, which allow to carry out dialing without inputting each one of the digits of a telephone number of a call receiver. However, such simplified dialing functions can only be used with a telephone unit in which simplified procedures have been appropriately registered. Thus, if one desires to place a call to the same destination from another telephone in which simplified procedures have not been registered or one wishes to place a call from a pay telephone, one has to dial every and each one of the digits of the telephone number of a call receiver Thus, even if there are several telephones in an office or a factory, the same simplified procedures must be registered in each and every one of the telephones, which is cumbersome.
It is conceivable to provide a telephone memory capable of storing simplified dialing procedures, such as an abbreviated dialing procedure, separate from and detachably mountable on a telephone unit. In this case, one can carry such a telephone memory and thus may use the abbreviated dialing function at any place as long as there is a telephone unit to which the telephone memory may be connected. However, in this method, if one carrying such a telephone memory goes out of a certain district where the same area code applies, there arises a problem. For example, suppose that one registers a telephone number of "333-3333" in a telephone memory using the abbreviated dialing function in the Yokohama district whose area code is "045." As long as, this telephone memory is used within the Yokohama district, no problem arises because it is not necessary to use the area code "045" before the telephone number of "333-3333" and thus it is only necessary to input the corresponding abbreviated number, e.g., "*33", for the telephone number "333 -3333." However, if the owner of this telephone memory goes to Tokyo where the area code of "03" applies and uses the same telephone memory for placing a call to "333-3333" using the registered abbreviated number, a call is placed to "333-3333" in Tokyo and not in Yokohama because the area code is not included in this example. On the other hand, if a telephone number is registered together with an area code, such as 045-333-3333 in the above-described example, then the corresponding abbreviated number can only be used outside of the Yokohama district and it cannot be used in the Yokohama district, which is inconvenient.
In a prior art telephone dialing apparatus, when a call is to be placed, a caller is required to manually dial or push buttons for each and every one of the digits of the telephone number of a call receiver. In such a case, a caller is often required to temporarily memorize the telephone number of a call receiver and jot it down on a piece of paper, which is cumbersome. Under the circumstances, there is proposed an automatic dialing system which automatically carries out dialing in response to voice input of a caller as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 61-144157. In accordance with the invention disclosed in this publication, it is not necessary for a caller to try to temporarily memorize or jot down the telephone number of a call receiver. However, as the number of registered telephone numbers increases, it arises a situation in which one cannot be sure whether a certain telephone number is registered and how it is registered. Even if one remembers the registered data well, the tone of voice may vary from time to time for various reasons, such as having a cold and aging, which could cause erroneous voice recognition, leading to dialing of a wrong telephone number. In such a voice activated dialing apparatus, there is a case in which the registered data is read out, deleted and/or altered other than being used for dialing. In particular, in the case when the registered data is to be altered, there are several possibilities, such as altering only a library for voice recognition, altering only a library for response, altering both of recognition and response libraries at the same time and altering only the dial number.
In addition, in a voice activated dialing apparatus, it is necessary to form and store voice reference patterns to be later used for pattern matching in voice recognition. Such an operation for registering voice reference patterns has nothing to do with the inherent function of a telephone unit, and a call may be received in the middle of such a voice registration operation. It may be so structured to send a busy signal to the caller while the voice registration operation is in progress; however, in such a method, the operator cannot recognize the fact that a call is being received. In addition, since the off-hook condition continues for some time without communication, an associate telephone exchange machine may determine that the handset has been misplaced. If the line has been left connected for a long period of time, dialing cannot be carried out unless the line is left disconnected for 10 seconds or more.
When any modification or alteration of the registered data is to be carried out in such a voice activated dialing apparatus, it is almost impossible to remember all of the operational procedures. Thus, the operator normally consults with a manual in effecting modification or alteration of the registered data. As an alternative approach, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 56-53501, a verbal guidance may be provided in effecting modifications or alterations. However, the invention disclosed in this publication is not responsive to the voice of the operator.